Rome: time in Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St Peter Basilica

Hi, anyone knows how much time do i need to visit both Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St Peter Basilica on my own? (i will purchase Tour tickets to skip the line)

Please help!! thx!!:)

If you're not on a tour you have to plan to visit the basilica separately. The entrance to the basilica from the museums is for guided tours only.

I would allow one hour for the basilica (unless you also want to climb the dome, in that case two hours). In one hour you can visit the basilica and the grotto below.

For the museums it's a minimum of two hours, and that's only if you simply go as quickly as possible from the entrance to the Sistine Chapel and back to the entrance/exit.

Allow at least 15 minutes for the walk between the basilica and the musuems entrance/exit. Also allow time for the security line for the basilica. If you can get there early (7 AM-ish) the line is minimal.

If you're not on a tour you have to plan to visit the basilica separately. The entrance to the basilica from the museums is for guided tours only.

Unless they have changed their system, I disagree. You don't have to be on a tour.....follow Rick Steve's advice (and if you are smart take along his app on your smart phone and use it at St. Pete's) and blend in with one of those tour groups and leave the chapel by the secret door which will save the long walk back around to the front of St. Pete's as well as having to trudge through another security check.

We had 9 am-ish tickets I believe, did a quick walk through the museum to the Sistine, spend a good bit of time there, left as suggested above, at the bottom of the stairs as you enter the courtyard, we turned right, bought elevator tickets, rode up, then climbed to the all the way to the lantern which I highly recommend but it very strenuous and a bit claustrophobic....if you can't do that just take the elevator to the roof....we stopped there on the way back down, had a Vatican ice cream and then toured the bascillica. As i recall we ended up having a late lunch on our way to the Pantheon....we caught a local bus in St. Peter's Square that dropped us a block or two away from the Pantheon.

I think we spendt a total of 4 hours or so in Vatican City.

Unless they have changed their system, I disagree. You don't have to be on a tour.....follow Rick Steve's advice (and if you are smart take along his app on your smart phone and use it at St. Pete's) and blend in with one of those tour groups and leave the chapel by the secret door which will save the long walk back around to the front of St. Pete's as well as having to trudge through another security check.

 

We had 9 am-ish tickets I believe, did a quick walk through the museum to the Sistine, spend a good bit of time there, left as suggested above, at the bottom of the stairs as you enter the courtyard, we turned right, bought elevator tickets, rode up, then climbed to the all the way to the lantern which I highly recommend but it very strenuous and a bit claustrophobic....if you can't do that just take the elevator to the roof....we stopped there on the way back down, had a Vatican ice cream and then toured the bascillica. As i recall we ended up having a late lunch on our way to the Pantheon....we caught a local bus in St. Peter's Square that dropped us a block or two away from the Pantheon.

 

I think we spendt a total of 4 hours or so in Vatican City.

Hi Clay Clayton. We plan on following a plan similar to yours. We bought 9:30 entrance tix for the Vatican Museums. After we see the Sistine Chapel, do you recommend doing the Dome climb or visiting St Peter's Basilica next?

Does the Dome climb exit into the basilica? I think I read somewhere that it does. We also plan on going down to the Cypt/Grotto after visiting St Peter's Basilica.

atgood

Like all rules and policies that are implemented by humans, you will find times when the "tour groups only" limitation is not enforced. If so, good for you as it will save you a lot of time. My point is that if you build your day around assuming it will be possible you may be disappointed.

Unless they have changed their system, I disagree. You don't have to be on a tour.....follow Rick Steve's advice (and if you are smart take along his app on your smart phone and use it at St. Pete's) and blend in with one of those tour groups and leave the chapel by the secret door which will save the long walk back around to the front of St. Pete's as well as having to trudge through another security check.

 

We had 9 am-ish tickets I believe, did a quick walk through the museum to the Sistine, spend a good bit of time there, left as suggested above, at the bottom of the stairs as you enter the courtyard, we turned right, bought elevator tickets, rode up, then climbed to the all the way to the lantern which I highly recommend but it very strenuous and a bit claustrophobic....if you can't do that just take the elevator to the roof....we stopped there on the way back down, had a Vatican ice cream and then toured the bascillica. As i recall we ended up having a late lunch on our way to the Pantheon....we caught a local bus in St. Peter's Square that dropped us a block or two away from the Pantheon.

 

I think we spendt a total of 4 hours or so in Vatican City.

Regarding the Dome climb: When you say "strenuous and claustrophobic" can you elaborate a bit more? Is it dark? Steep steps? Are there handrails?

By the way, I thought irregardless of whether you take the elevator or not, there are still about 100 steps you must take upon exiting the elevator to get to the top- Thanks.

Regarding the Dome climb: When you say "strenuous and claustrophobic" can you elaborate a bit more? Is it dark? Steep steps? Are there handrails?

 

By the way, I thought irregardless of whether you take the elevator or not, there are still about 100 steps you must take upon exiting the elevator to get to the top

The elevator only takes you to the top of the basilica, if you want to get to the top of the dome the only way up is to climb.

The dome at St. Peter's is fairly well lit, the complete opposite of the duomo in Florence. Where there are steps there are handrails. Many (perhaps most) of the steps are spiral staircases.

At the very top of the dome you need to lean over as you walk because of the shape of the top of a dome. The last few steps up to the door to the outside walkway are very steep but there are handrails.

Does the dome climb end inside the basilica? We plan on walking down into the crypt too. Being that the crypt tour/walk is one way and exits on the outside, we don't want to start that part until we've seen the inside of the Basilica. Trying to get the order correct on how to do the visit and not end up outside without having seen inside the basilica and having to go thru security again.

Thanks,

atgood

Does the dome climb end inside the basilica? We plan on walking down into the crypt too. Being that the crypt tour/walk is one way and exits on the outside, we don't want to start that part until we've seen the inside of the Basilica. Trying to get the order correct on how to do the visit and not end up outside without having seen inside the basilica and having to go thru security again.

 

Thanks,

atgood

You go through the security check before you go up the dome and when you come down, you are still within the secured area and do not have to go through again, if that is what you are asking about....

Also, the last time I visited the crypt, you did not have to exit to the outside; you could go directly back into the basilica. But that was 2-3 years ago so possibly it has changed.

You go through the security check before you go up the dome and when you come down, you are still within the secured area and do not have to go through again, if that is what you are asking about....

 

 

 

Also, the last time I visited the crypt, you did not have to exit to the outside; you could go directly back into the basilica. But that was 2-3 years ago so possibly it has changed.

Thx cruisemom42

atgood

if i book the ticket of 1:30pm and i visit Vatican Museum and Sistine first, is there any secret exit that i can go straight to the Basilica which i don't need to line up and do security check again? do i have to do a security check when i enter Vatican museum the first thing? does it take a long time if it's in early Apr?

I seem to recall that after we climbed down from the Dome, and went on the roof (ice cream, toilet, tacky tourist shop run by nuns)and great view of the back of the apostles that overlook the square, we exited via elevator directly into the basilica. For those reasons, I would do the Dome first.

As far as more of a description, while EuroCruiser is correct, that St Peter's is better lit than Florence, I found it much more difficult...of course the last time I climbed the Duomo was in 1982:eek: when I was a bit more svelte!:D As mentioned there are a number of spiral staircases, the leaning over that Euro mentioned isn't bent over forwards, it is to the side and in my case ( I am six foot seven) I had to basically lean against the outside of the inner dome as we made spiraled our way around...but the last hurdle was the worse for me. The last spiral staircase has no handrail and is very very tight...and no inside way or column. Rather there is a rope you (and everyone in front and behind you) use to pull yourself up with....and the steps are very very narrow from front to back, so more like spiraling up a ladder than steps. My size 16s didn't fit on them very well so I basically had to go up sideways so my feet were running the width of the step rather than the depth....hope that makes sense. Anyway, it was all worth it...the view is incredible..as DH said, who knew the bell clanger and lantern lighter had the best view in town!

In response to suginana, you will have to do security when you enter the museum, presuming you have bought your ticket online, don't be discouraged by the long line outside..those are the poor folks who weren't as smart as you...just walk right by them and head for the doors. There will be a sign that identifies those with prepurchased passes...You go in, go to the will call window and then go through security. When we were there, it probably took us 15 min to wait in the line to pick up our ticket and go through security. We were there in mid April. YMMV.

Regarding the secret passage to St. Peters which will indeed save you a long walk back through the museum, a hike around to the square and another trip through security to go into the church, as you enter the chapel look to the far end. There are two exits, the one on the right (again as you are standing with your back to the altar end of the chapel) is the "secret" one. After we had finished our time in the chapel, we simply watched until there was an obvious tour group gathering to leave (we picked one whose earbuds matched ours) and we just wandered over to them, I probably even nodded to someone like I knew them in case the guards were watching ( I don't think they were) and when the tour guide started through the door, we simply joined the middle of her pack. EasyPeasy.

Thanks Clay so much for your information!! so detailed!!! it helps a lot!! thank you!! =)

Thx Clay Clayton. We'll be sure to stop for ice cream on the way down from the top of the dome.

atgood

Just paying it forward, but you are most welcome!

FYI, even better than the ice cream is the souvenir shop run by VERY stern nuns (we all figure that working in this particular shop is penance for a really terrible sin which puts them in a foul mood) which you would think would only have religiously appropriate knick knacks. Nope, I bought two side key rings for a euro a piece, St Peters on one side, the Pope on the other!

And of course for the me in your party, standing at the urinal while looking out at the basilica's roof is an experience that I am sure Michelangelo did not intend!

Have a great time!